Improvement in cleaning wool and woolen goods



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. GOVERN, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLEANING WOOLAND WOOLEN GOODS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,122, dated August14, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. GOVERN, of Holyoke, in the county ofHampden and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new andImproved Method of Cleansing Wool and Woolen Goods; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

The nature of my invention consists in the use of a solution of guano orof the excrements of fowls and birds for the scouring of raw orunwrought wool, and for the cleansing of fabrics made of wool from theoil which is applied during the process of manufacturing to the materialof which said fabrics are made.

To enable others skilled in this department of woolen manufacture to useand apply my invention, I will proceed to describe the material employedby me in said cleansing and scouring and the method of using andapplying it.

It is necessary for me to describe, briefly, the cleansing processeswhich it is necessary to employ in manufacturing woolen goods.

First, before the unwrought wool is carded it is generally secured orwashed to free it from animal oil and dirt. Soap and soda or some otherdetersive material or materials are dissolved in the water in which thewool is scoured.

Second, after the securing above set forth, some vegetable, animal, ormineral oil or fatty substance is applied to the wool to render it fitfor carding and the subsequent operations of spinning, &c.

Finally, it is necessary to remove from the woven goods or goodsotherwise manufactured the oil or grease so applied before carding,which is effected by the action of the fullingmills and washers, soapbeing applied in proper quantities duringthe operation.

In the operation of scouring first above described I apply to thecleansing mixture a solution of guano, or of the excrements of fowls andbirds, the solution being of a strength proportioned to the quality ofthe wool to be cleansed, different grades of wool requiring differenttreatment. I have also used the above-named solution as a cleansingmixture without the addition of any other detersive material,- and havealso combined the guano or excrements aforesaid with the soap used inthe scouring, and the soap so formed I also use in the second operationabove described, of cleansing or washing the manufactured goods in thefulling-mills and washers.

In making the soap so used I have employed the following ingredients inthe proportions named, to wit: guano, twenty (20) pounds; tallow, onehundred (100) pounds soda, twenty-five (25) pounds. Hot water is appliedto these ingredients in sufficient quantity, and the mixture is boiledfor several hours-say from eight to ten hours-and then, after coolingsomewhat, the larger part of the liquid portion of the contents of thecontaining-kettle is drawn off, more hot water added to the residue, andthe same process of boiling, cooling, and drawing ofi' repeated for twoor three times. The liquid or semiliquid so drawn off forms, when cold,the soap.

In describing the process of manufacturing soap for cleansing wool andwoolen goods (generally denominated fullers soap) no definite andinflexible rule can be given for determining the relative quantity ofthe in gredients to be used, the amount of water to be added, or for anyof the details of the operation, as all the above will vary with thegrades of material and the styles of manufactured goods to which thefullers soap is to be applied.

1 have found that the fresh excrements of fowls and birds are moreefficacious for the purposes above set forth than the guano sold in themarkets, but have preferred to use guano as being an article morereadily and cheaply obtained.

Some of the advantages of my invention I have by actual trial found tobe, first, it brightens and enlivens the colors of the goods upon whichit is used as aforesaid, and softens the texture; second, it facilitatesand shortens the securing and cleansing operations, and requires the useof less of the detergent materials; third, fullers soap can be made morecheaply by the use of guano or the excrements of fowls or birds,substantially as before described, than by the use of am- The use of thearticles above named, or either of them, for the cleansing of wool andwoolen goods, Whether used alone or in combination with otheringredients, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM A. GOVERN.

In presence of- H. S. ADAMS, J. P. BUCKLAND.

